1. Technical Field
The invention relates to: a method for soldering or welding components, preferably metal sheets, in a series production; a component composite produced by soldering or welding; a production line for joining components, including a production stage which includes soldering or welding; and lastly, a tool head which is particularly suitable for performing the method. The invention can in particular be used in the series production of vehicle body parts for soldering or welding metal body sheets. It is in particular suitable for joining metal sheets of the outer shell of vehicles, for example for joining a side part to a roof part, or for joining an outer metal sheet to an inner metal sheet of an attachment part, such as for example a door or hatchback.
2. Description of the Related Art
When assembling body shells of automobiles, metal body sheets—for example, side body parts and roofs—are connected to each other by laser-beam soldering or laser-beam welding. The metal body sheets to be connected to each other are tensed relative to each other in a joining position and then soldered or welded together. In modern production lines, only a limited amount of time is available for the soldering or welding process, as a result of which the quality of the soldering or welding seam to be produced suffers. On the other hand, the soldering or welding seam has to form a seal and exhibit a smooth outer surface. In particular, the seam must not be permeated with wormholes.
A method and device for laser-beam soldering or laser-beam welding are for example known from DE 100 06 852 C5. A soldering or welding wire, from which the soldering or welding seam is produced, simultaneously serves as a contact sensor, by means of which the device is guided along a joint formed between the work piece parts to be connected, when the method is performed. Other methods and devices are described in DE 198 03 734 C2 and DE 10 2004 028 787 A1.